The Birds and the Bees
by BetterThanCoffee
Summary: Sokka gives Aang the talk. [Post-The Fortuneteller]


Sokka was bored. No, he was beyond bored. The water tribe teen was practically comatose from lack of stimulation. The Earth Kingdom seemed to stretch on forever. Their small oasis at the Southern Water Tribe was akin to a drop of water in the entire ocean. Then, Sokka's entire life was turned around by a not-so simple iceberg. From that moment on, the humble water tribe boy's life was full of adventure and excitement. Sokka had gone from ice fishing to out running the Fire Nation. After such adventures, one could never go back.

For some reason, the gang hit a peaceful slump. They have not seen hide nor hair of the Fire Nation. For the past several weeks, their journey had become a staple of peaceful tranquility. There was no one on their tail, rushing them to the North Pole. The gang had the leisure to go at their own pace. Aang and Katara were content on filling their time with waterbending, and Sokka had sharpened and cleaned every weapon he owned tenfold. To be frank, nothing was really going on and Sokka hated it.

It seemed a cruel twist of irony that the teen missed the days of having to watch their back at every turn. He should be grateful for this lapse in danger, and on some level, Sokka supposed he was grateful, but give him a Fire Navy ship attack over this dullness any day. At least then their journey has some meaning to Sokka. Watching his sister and the avatar practice bending the elements made Sokka feel useless. The teen could not contribute to their training, and had to spend his days with Momo and Appa. He loved the animals, but good conversationalists they were not.

Aang and Katara appeared to have taken a break from that day's bending. Spying the airbender walk away from his sister to dress himself gave Sokka a wicked idea. A smirk encompassed his entire face, and the Water Tribe boy could not seem to rid himself of it as he made his way over to their resident airbender.

Aang had airbended himself dry, and was meticulously robing himself in his habit. As a young monk, Aang tended to be a bit naïve about the ways of the world. Luckily for Aang, as the eldest of the group, Sokka had wisdom beyond what the twelve years allotted the airbender. It was so easy to humiliate the monk, and now seemed the proper time for more adult education.

"So Aang," Sokka spoke coyly while approaching the airbender, "as you were raised by monk, I suppose they never taught you the ways of the world."

"The elder monks are very knowledgeable," Aang spoke, straightening his robes. "Even though I learned a lot, I know they had much more to teach me."

If possible, Sokka's smirk stretched even wider. This was going to be too easy. "I suppose that means they taught you about the birds and the bees."

At Aang's blank look, Sokka internally cheered. Bullseye.

Swinging his arm across the boy's shoulder, Sokka spoke, "Luckily for you, Aang, I happen to obtain the wisdom of the birds and the bees, and I am very willing to educate the youth."

"Um, thanks Sokka?" Aang questioned, not entirely sure what he was agreeing to.

Without another word, Sokka grabbed the airbender's arm, and dragged him further away from the campsite. If Katara's nosy tendencies came to play, she would be hard pressed to find them, giving Sokka ample time to humiliate the avatar. This set-up was almost too perfect. Sokka was determined to remember this day for years to come.

The pair finally got settled at a stable cliff on the edge of an abyss. Sokka could hardly contain his gleeful giggles. This idea had the potential of being incredibly bad, but that is what made it all the more fun.

Sokka cleared his throat, mimicking the style of classroom teachers. "I expect, by now, you have begun to notice girls."

In an instant, Aang's pale skin flared up to a cheery red. The boy tried to play it off, but when he spoke, his voice cracked, "Uh, um, sure. I guess."

"Now do those girls ever make you _feel_ something?"

Against all odds, Aang's voice shot even higher, "Feel what?"

Inside, Sokka was roaring with laughter, yet somehow miraculously, he was able to keep it all inside (except for the occasional smirk). "You know, manly feelings," Sokka waited a beat, "down there."

In a split second, Aang's cherry red face drained to a pasty white. "I-I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, but I think you do, dear Aang," Sokka egged the avatar on. "You answered awfully quick right there."

"No I didn't," Aang spoke in a single breath.

"Lying?" Sokka tsked and shook his head. "I expected better from a monk."

Aang's mouth dropped open, moving as if he was trying to speak, but not a single word would come out. Sokka knew he could very well end his torture there, but he was never one to perform half of anything. Now it was time for the big guns.

"Has any young woman captured the attention of the avatar?" Sokka was enjoying this far than was strictly necessary.

"No."

"Really," the boomerang-slinger stretched out his word for at least four syllables. "I could have sworn you were eyeing a certain someone back at the crazy fortune-deceiving village."

Aang started to squirm, desperate for escape. Unfortunately for the airbender, Sokka chose that moment to squeeze his arm around the boy. An outsider might see this as a comforting embrace, but both of the boys knew it was really to anchor Aang in place.

"Come on, spill. I know there is someone. You don't have to hide it."

"I'm so sorry!" Aang spluttered out. "Please don't be mad. Nothing has happened. We're just friends, I swear!"

Sokka's brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about? Why would I be—" Suddenly a light bulb went off in Sokka's head. There is only one girl in the entire world that Sokka would protect to the Spirit World and back. Aang wanted his baby sister.

The water tribe boy immediately sprung from the avatar's side, and begun pacing at the precipice of the cliff. "You. YOU!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" The monk rushed out.

Sokka pointed an accusatory finger towards the younger boy. "You have manly feelings towards my sister!"

Aang began to sweat under Sokka's ire, leaving his bald head shinier than normal. "No feelings! No manly feelings at all!"

"Yes! Yes you do! I cannot believe the avatar wants to have his wicked way with my baby sister!" With that, Sokka collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted. Anyone having sexual feelings towards his younger sister, his light and his rock, was too much for him to bear.

Aang spoke frantically, "Sokka, you don't understand."

"What do I not understand?"

"I'm in love with Katara."

Sokka paused, "You what?"

"I'm in love with Katara," Aang repeated with conviction.

Sokka scrubbed his hands over his face, and asked in a tired voice, "How long?"

"Since I awoke from the iceberg."

The two boys stared at each other. Sokka's blue eyes bore into Aang's grey. Finally, the elder of the two broke. Sokka gestured to the ground beside him. "Sit down, Aang."

Aang airbended a bubble beneath him to gently lower to the ground. The pair sat in silence, staring out into the cavern below them. The avatar's biggest secret was finally spoken out loud. Suddenly, the reality of Aang's feelings seemed to hit him.

"Oh my spirits, I'm in love with Katara," Aang breathed.

"You sure?"

Aang nodded. "I have never been surer of anything in my life."

"You're pretty young," Sokka warned.

"I know, but at the same time, I am over one-hundred years old. The monks used to say that love knows no number."

Sokka covered his face, and flopped backwards onto the ground. "I'm not sure how I feel about this."

Aang hummed in understanding, "It isn't like Katara returns my feelings." The boy propped his chin up on his knees and pouted, "She compared me to Momo."

Sokka winced in remembrance. "Sometimes Katara doesn't quite think about what she is saying."

Laying out beside Sokka, the pair stared at the slowly passing clouds. Time had slowed down, and everything was focused on the pair of boys on the ground. Aang would have liked to believe that nothing was left to be said, but that was merely wish-making when it came to the more-than chatty Water Tribesman.

"Don't break her heart," Sokka broke the silence.

"First I would have to have her heart to be able to break anything," the avatar muttered.

"Katara feels more strongly than you'd think."

The airbender sat up, his eyes bright. "So are you saying I have a chance?"

Sokka scowled at the boy, but his expression held no weight. "Don't push it, buddy."

The two smiled at each other, leaving no ill will. At the end of the day, there truly wasn't anyone better for Katara than the avatar himself. The boy was loyal and kind, but above all else, he was powerful. Sokka conceded that while Aang and Katara were amazing alone, the two were almost unstoppable when together. Sokka pitied any soul that dared to come between the two.

"What are you two doing?"

Stunned by Katara's sudden appearance, the pair scrambled to get off the ground, Aang nearly knocking Sokka over in the process. Katara cocked an eyebrow at the two boys, waiting for an answer.

"Nothing!" The duo chimed out, seeming to have come over with a momentary bout of telepathy.

Katara looked suspicious, but Aang was too distracted by her presence. Katara's hair naturally fell into a slight curl after drying from the water she and the airbender were practicing in earlier. Aang felt his face heating up, and couldn't help blurt out, "You look really pretty."

Now it was Katara's turn to the blush. Katara and Aang stared at each other, getting lost in the other's eyes. The tension was thick between the two, and Sokka suddenly wished he was anywhere but there. Shifting uncomfortably, Sokka finally had to clear his throat to break the reverie.

Katara blinked rapidly, as if she wasn't entirely sure what just happened. "I better go start dinner," was all she said before running off.

Sokka shook his head, feeling far too old to have to deal with this situation. "Perhaps you have a better chance than you thought."

Aang, breaking out of his Katara-induced haze, looked inquisitively at the older boy. "What did you say?"

"Absolutely nothing." Perhaps no excitement was better after all.


End file.
